• UAE night sky lights up with a quadrantid meteor shower on Jan 4th.
• Expect up to 60 shooting stars per hour, including bright fireballs.
• No special equipment is needed; just lie down and look up in a dark area.

As hundreds of shooting stars are produced by the first meteor shower of 2024, the UAE’s night sky will spring to life. The Quadrantids meteor shower will peak on January 4 with its fireballs, a few days after fireworks lit up the skies over the United Arab Emirates to welcome in the New Year.

Named after the defunct constellation Quadrans Muralis, the meteor shower is an annual event known for its “intense bursts”, according to the Dubai Astronomy Group (DAG). “Originating from the asteroid 2003 EH1, this rare phenomenon is anticipated to produce up to 60 or more meteors per hour at its peak, creating a dazzling display in the night sky.”

What sets the quadrantids apart is their rarity and intensity. “The meteor shower is known for its short-lived yet remarkable outbursts,” said the DAG.

According to Nasa, the Quadrantids are considered to be “one of the best” annual meteor showers. They are known for their bright fireball meteors. “Fireballs are larger explosions of light and colour that can persist longer than an average meteor streak … (They) … are also brighter.”

Spectators can watch shooting stars without the need for specialized equipment or expertise. All they have to do is lie flat on their backs, choose a viewing location distant from street lights and the city (like a desert), and look up. The eyes need around half an hour to get used to the darkness.

The DAG stated that “precise timing for optimal viewing” is necessary during the event’s limited window of peak activity. The group is going to conduct an event in Al Qudra, Dubai.

Desert hours are 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.; tickets cost between Dh80 and Dh140.

Residents of the UAE trek far into the desert to see celestial displays. Hundreds of people got cozy beneath the stars at activities organized by the Mleiha Archaeological Centre and DAG during the peak of the Geminid meteor shower in December of last year, watching as space pebbles burned up in the atmosphere to create brilliant trails.

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